Arkansas Takes Down Northwestern State, 89-59, on Elementary Day

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball is off to a 2-0 start to the season after defeating Northwestern State (1-1), 89-69, on Friday in Bud Walton Arena.

The Hogs played in front of 12,327 fans and elementary schoolers, the third-largest crowd in program history.

Senior guard Emily Robinson led all scorers with 18 points and freshman guard and Arkansas native Whitley Rogers turned in her first big game with 16 points.

How it Happened

The Razorbacks started seniors Jianna Morris, D’Asia Thomas-Harris and Robinson and freshmen Kyiah Prestridge and Rogers.

Prestridge scored the game’s first points, a second-chance layup off a Northwestern State turnover, the first of 34 the Hogs would force on Friday.

Both teams traded baskets in the opening segment and the Lady Demons led 10-9 at the media timeout. Northwestern State suffered from poor shooting, going 0-6 over the remaining 5:28 of the quarter. The Hogs took advantage and went on 16-2 run during that stretch, including a three-pointers from Robinson and guard Beautiful Waheed and, most notably, two points when NSU guard Karma Wynn accidentally went up for a layup on her own basket.

Arkansas led 25-13 after the first quarter despite facing early foul trouble for Morris and Robinson.

Both teams got off to a slow start in the second quarter with just one field goal each for the first 3:38 of the period. The Hogs increased their lead to 20 with Rogers scoring eight of their last 10 points in the quarter, including a buzzer-beating three. Rogers led the Hogs with eight points at the half. Thomas-Harris led all rebounders with nine.

The Razorbacks’ slow starts carried over to the second half, allowing Northwestern State to go on a 12-2 run over the first 3:53 and cut Arkansas’ lead to 10. The Hogs responded with a 13-1 run over the next three minutes, capped off by a three from Robinson off a turnover. The Razorbacks outscored the Lady Demons by three (23-20) at the end of the quarter, thanks to another buzzer-beater, this time from fifth-year Kateri Poole.

NSU had another quarter-opening run in the fourth, this time 7-0 to cut the lead to 16, but Arkansas responded with a 14-2 run until the 2:58 mark, when the Lady Demons made back-to-back layups, their final field goals of the game.

Northwestern State did not make a field goal for the remaining 2:33 but added three more points off free throws. The Hogs scored nine more points, including an and-1 from sophomore forward Daniah Trammell and one last three from Robinson at the 1:02 mark.

Game Notes

• Arkansas had four players finish in double figures: Robinson (18), Rogers (16), Trammell (10) and Thomas-Harris (12 rebounds).
• NSU’s KP Parr led all scorers with 20 points.
• The Hogs won the rebounding battle, 51-35, and grabbed 27 offensive boards, the most in a game since at least 2004.
• The Razorbacks forced 34 turnovers after setting a program record last game when they forced 51 against LSU New Orleans.
• NSU outshot the Hogs 41.7%-38.8% but Arkansas made 13 more shots in addition to 15 free throws.
• The Razorbacks held Chloe Donnell, fresh off a 46-point performance in NSU’s season opener, to just two points.

Up Next

The Hogs will host Kansas City (1-) on Monday, November 9 at Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on social media.